Mother's Love
by MoriChann
Summary: Kakashi came a little too late. Sasuke got away. Naruto is in the verge of dying. "It's Uzumaki Kushina!" she shouted as she watched him disappear.


**Mother's Love**

**Summary:**_ Kakashi came a little too late. Sasuke got away. Naruto is in the verge of dying. "It's Uzumaki Kushina!" she shouted as she watched him disappear._

_I don't own Naruto

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The tension is high as they don't know what to do.

The retrieval mission failed. They didn't manage to bring to Uchiha back, but that is not their concern any longer as a certain ninja is still in the emergency room. Shikamaru sighed, Chouji and Neji nearly died. All he needed now so that he could have some sleep is to see Tsunade come out of the emergency room and say his comrade is alive.

But it seems time is acting differently, it's already been 8 hours and not a single sign shows that Tsunade would be coming out anytime soon. Sakura kept pacing, not too sure of what to do. Naruto wasn't able to fulfill his promise, but knowing that he will sacrifice his life just to make her happy hurts more than knowing Sasuke's gone. She looked at the doors of the emergency room again, a lone tear fell from her right eye as worry began to enveloped her.

Their sensei has the aura of guilt surrounding his person. Maybe if he didn't come a little too late things might turn out differently.

Inside the emergency room, Tsunade is having a hard time. She has to do a blood transfusion to the blonde to be able to save him. Even if the sight of him bloody, pale and almost dying makes her insides swell, she doesn't care. She only knew one thing..she has to save him.

Naruto's eyes are half-lidded as he watched the hysteric medic work on him. He felt numb all over.

Tsunade's eyes grew wide when she heard a certain sound: the heart monitor, beeping. She looked at her surrogate brother with tears streaming down her face. "No! Brat, fight with me!" she yelled, and her voice reached the hallways which made the shinobis outside tensed in alarm.

She placed her green glowing hands on his massive wound in the chest, "Please..please..please.." this time, she's pleading and sounding desperate. The medics surrounding her looked at her sympathetically, they all knew how Tsunade came to love the boy, seeing her like this.. makes them want to cry with her.

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Naruto looked around as he noticed he's standing inside a damnable white space. He walked and walked only to come to no start and no end.

Suddenly a tap on his shoulder made him jumped. He turned around to see a woman with long red hair, purple eyes, clad in a dress. She is wearing a grin on her face as she looked at him. Naruto doesn't know if he should freaked out at the woman or just stand there. He feels strangely at ease with her.

The woman raised her hand towards Naruto, "Hi! Nice to meet you." she chirped happily as her eyes lit up in brightness and warmness.

Naruto raised an eyebrow eyeing the hand as if it has something on it, "Uh..hi? Do I know you?" he asked carefully, not fully trusting the person.

She merely smiled at him before saying, "Secret!" she said in a sing-song voice, "But my name is Kushina, what's your name?" she asked, even though she already knew.

He scratch the back of his head, not really sure of how to answer, "Naruto." he said.

She bopped him over the head before he could say anything else, he glared at the woman who is now frowning, "What is wrong with you lady?" he shouted, rubbing the sore spot she hit him. Even though he knew he should be irritated, frustrated or angry, he couldn't. Her presence alone brings warmth to him.

Kushina pointed her hand, "You should shake my hand as a sign of respect. You should've known better! Didn't Tsunade-chan teach you any manners?" she asked as she let her arm dropped to her side.

His eyes went wide as he pointed an accusing finger at her, "How do you know her? And who really are you?" he asked but this time, his voice sounded more curious than offended.

Her face lit up once again, "Of course, I am her number one patient! And please..you're here on this damnable white space which is the place that separates you from life and death. So you still have the chance to go back!" she said the last part with a content smile.

"How about you?"

The question caught her off guard as she looked into his deep blue eyes showing a hint of concern, "I'm already dead, I'm just here to help guide poor souls such as you. How'd you get here anyway?" she inquired and she also noted how depressed he got when questioned.

He sighed as he sat down, "My friend tried to defect from our village. I went out to stop him, to fulfill a promise to someone else. I thought he was only joking when he said he's going to kill me. But I won't be here if he was, right?" he said as he laughed, but it's so sad to hear how dry and out of life the voice sounded.

Kushina looked worriedly at him as she sat down next to him, "You don't look too good." she said.

He eyed her for a minute before tears started streaming down his face with a sad smile, "I know. Did you know he was my first friend? He was the first one to acknowledge me as a person, even though he thinks I'm an inferior..he's the first person I ever made a bond with.." his voice became a whisper at the end.

She sighed, "Betrayal is the worst thing to ever injure a friendship, but if you never give up on that person, maybe he still has the chance to see the light." she stated softly, she stood up and crouched infront of him as she hugged him.

Naruto, totally taken by surprise, cried on her shoulder, clutching to her as if his life depended on it. "I never had a family, but when I'm with him..I always wondered, if that is what it feels like to have a brother." he said quietly, she felt like her heart is going to break just hearing the boy's voice so broken.

She rubbed his back in soothing circles, "A bond can never vanish, but it can be broken. You just have to find the right words and actions, before you know it..you're already fixing things." she said with a comforting smile. She raised an eyebrow at him, "You know, you look so much like my husband." she stated, trying to give him a hint.

He wiped his tears away, "Really? Who was he?" he inquired, curiosity getting the better at him.

Kushina smiled at how she managed to change the subject. She chuckled, "You always see his face beside Tsunade-chan's!" she answered happily.

He thought for a moment before his eyes widened, "You're the Yondaime's wife! No way, I didn't know he has a wife, let alone..a girlfriend!" he pointed an accusing finger at her.

She slapped his hand away, frowning slightly, "Of course! You think he'll openly announced it when some Iwa dumbasses are after his head?" she pointed out.

He gave a nervous chuckle before turning serious, "If you really are his wife, then what do you know about him that you only knew?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Kushina laughed at him, "You're really something kid. I was the one who helped him design that seal housing the Kyuubi! My clan are prodigies among seals, but it's funny. How clumsy he could get when we do things that has nothing to do with being a Hokage or a shinobi. But he told me that he always loved Konoha, because he longs for its acknowledgement.." she said sadly, remembering a certain blonde man's words.

_I want everyone in the village to acknowledge me and become a great Hokage._

Naruto smiled sadly as he heard that, "Longs for acknowledgement, eh? How ironic, I used to be in his position, yet so different.." he murmured he subconciously held his stomach, where the seal is.

She chuckled as she tackle him in a headlock, "You know? You also act like blondie! You're both melodramatic!" she laughed as she released him.

He grumbled about old lady's always tending to hurt him, "Blondie? Haha! The Great Yondaime Hokage being called blondie by some brute lady?" he said as he laughed and didn't managed to sense the dark aura that suddenly engulfed Kushina.

She raised a trembling fist, "_Brute_ lady?" she asked slowly, as if wanting him to correct his mistake.

He paled at that as he chuckled nervously, subconciously scratching the back of his head, "Sorry, I mean beautiful." he said as his eyes turned soft and gave her one of his rare dazzling smiles, "You're hair looks really nice, it's what completes the beautiful picture altogether. No wonder the Yondaime loves you." he said sincerely.

She blushed but grinned at him cheekily, "You're the second one to say that my hair looks nice besides from blondie!" she said smiling gently.

Then Naruto suddenly began fading, he looked at his arms in panic as he looked at Kushina for help. The redhead just shook her head as she smiled at him, "It's not your time yet. Many people believes in you..I believe in you." she said, her voice holds warmth in it.

His eyes became watery upon hearing her words, "You don't know how much that means to me, lady..What's your full name again?" he asked one last time, but he began fading fast..

"It's Uzumaki Kushina!" she shouted as she watch him disappear, hoping for him to hear, but he didn't hear her words properly as he vanished living Kushina alone. "I love you, _son_." she muttered quietly.

A hand then landed on Kushina's shoulder, "You're late blondie..you missed him." she said as she turned around coming face to face with one Namikaze Minato.

"I know, but we'll always be here for him.." he said as they both smiled, after several seconds..both vanished leaving the white space empty.

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He opened his eyes only to shut them again when the brightness of his hospital room hit his eyes instantly. He opened them again, yet this time a little slowly. He looked around and smiled when he saw one Senju Tsunade snoring on the chair beside his hospital bed. He sat up and immediately gazed outside the window, particularly, the Hokage Monument. He eyed all of the faces of the Hokage before his sight landed on the Yondaime's face. He heard someone stir and looked just in time to see Tsunade slowly opening her eyes.

She opened her eyes groggily, only to widen when she saw Naruto sitting up, "Brat!" she shouted as she hugged him immediately, tears streamed down her face, "I was so scared that I lose you! Don't ever do that again!" she said firmly.

Despite of being hugged to death, he smiled, "Baachan..can't..breathe.." he managed to choke out as Tsunade let go of him.

She wiped the tears away, "You had me worried there!" she said softly.

He eyed her for a moment before he remembered something, "Do you know someone named by Kushina?" he asked.

Tsunade seemed to be taken aback by his question, "Yes, why do you ask?" she inquired, she was surprised how the blonde boy knew her when only a few knew Kushina and none of them even knew she married to the fourth.

"I met her when I was dying, she said she's the Yondaime's wife. I just wanted to ask if that was true. And I promise I'll keep my mouth shut." he quickly reassured because he knew the Godaime would lie to him if she thought he would spread word about it.

Tsunade sighed, "Yes." not really sure if she should believe his words about meeting Kushina.

Naruto smiled as he looked at the Hokage Monument once again, "She's a good person. I wish I had a mother like her, she understands me perfectly." he murmured quietly.

The blonde woman eyed him critically for a moment before smiling herself, she looked outside as she thought, _If only you knew Naruto..If only you knew._

**END

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**Author's Note:**

I hope you liked my story. Please review.


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